Cal 1, Wednesday Homework Assignment #3 Fall 2013

Due on Wednesday, October 30, 2013, beginning of class at 1:00 PM.

1. The population of a certain species is defined by the following function

1, 000
P (t) = ,
1 + 9e−t
where t is measured in years.
(a) Find all horizontal asymptotes.
(b) Estimate how long it takes for the population to reach 900.
(b) Find the inverse of this function and explain its meaning.
(d) Use the inverse function to find the time required for the population to reach 900. Compare
with the result of part (b).

Solution
(a) We have
lim P (t) = 1, 000, and lim P (t) = 0
t→∞ t→−∞

Thus y = 1, 000 and y = 0 are the horizontal asymptotes.

(b) Solve the following equation for t
1, 000
= 900
1 + 9e−t
This implies e−t = 1
81
.

Thus, t = ln 81 ≈ 4.4 (years).

(c) Solve for t the following equation
1, 000
P =
1 + 9e−t
This yields  
−t 1 1000
e = −1
9 P
Thus, the inversion formula, which is the formula for time t as a function of population
 
9P
t = ln
1000 − P
This gives the time required for the population to reach a given number P .
9P


(d) The inverse function t(P ) = ln 1000−P implies
 
9 × 900
t(900) = ln = ln 81 ≈ 4.4 years,
1000 − 900

as in part (a).
2. (a) Show that the equation x3 − x − 1 = 0 has a real root in the interval [1, 2].
(b) Show that the equation 12 x4 − 10103 x3 − x2 − 1 = 0 has at least two real roots.

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Cal 1, Wednesday Homework Assignment #3 Fall 2013

Hint: Using the Intermediate Value Theorem for continuous functions.

2 (a). Let f (x) = x3 − x − 1. We have f (x) is continuous everywhere and f (1)f (2) < 0.

2 (b). Let 21 x4 − 10103 x3 − x2 − 1. We have f (0) = −1. Since

lim f (x) = ∞
x→−∞

There thus exists a negative value M1 such that f (M1 ) > 0. Similarly, since lim f (x) = ∞,
x→∞
there exists M2 > 0 such that f (M2 ) > 0. Therefore, there exist a root in (M1 , 0) and another
one (0, M2 ).

3. For what value of the constant a is the function continuous on (−∞, ∞)?
 2
ax + 2x if x < 2
f (x) =
x3 − ax if x > 2

Hint: 4a + 4 = 8 − 2a ⇒ a = 2/3.

4. Find the values of a and b that make f continuous everywhere:

x2 −4

 x−2
if x < 2
f (x) = 2
ax − bx + 3 if 2 6 x < 3
2x − a + b if x > 3


Solution
If f (x) is continuous everywhere, then f (x0 is continuous at x = 2 and x = 3. So the values of
a and b satisfy the following conditions
(
lim+ f (x) = lim− f (x) = f (2)
x→2 x→2
lim− f (x) = lim+ f (x) = f (3)
x→3 x→3

4a − 2b + 3 = 4
9a − 3b + 3 = 6 − a + b
This leads to the desired values of a and b: a = b = 1/2.

5. A ball is thrown vertically upward with a initial velocity 80 ft/s (feet/second), then its height
after t seconds is
s = 80t − 16t2 .
(a) At what time does the ball reach the maximum height? What is the maximum height
reached by the ball?
(b) After 2 seconds, what is the height of the ball? Does the ball reach this height at another
time?
(c) What is the velocity of the ball when it is 90 ft above the ground on its way up? on its way
down?

Solution
(a) Note that the graph of y = s(t) is a down-ward parabola and the maximum height reached

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Cal 1, Wednesday Homework Assignment #3 Fall 2013

by the ball is the y-coordinate of the top of the parabola. The coordinate of the top of the
parabola is: ( 52 , 100). Thus, the highest position that the ball ever reached is 100 feet and this
occurs at t = 25 second (after 52 seconds).
Remark: One can maximize s(t) by solving for t the equation v (t) = s0 (t) = 80 − 32t = 0 to
obtain the vertex of the parabola (tv , sv ) = ( 52 , 100).

(b) The height of the ball at t = 2 second is s(2) = 96 feet. The ball reach the height 96 feet
at the time t satisfying the equation

s(t) = 80t − 16t2 = 96.

This implies the two roots t1 = 2 (s) and t2 = 3 (s). Thus, the ball reach this height at another
time when t = 3 second (when it falls down).

(c) The ball is 90 ft above the ground if and only if

s(t) = 80t − 16t2 = 90.

This equation gives the roots: √

10 ± 10
t1,2 = (s)
4
That is, t1 = 1.71 (s) and t2 = 3.29 (s). Thus, the velocity of the ball when it is at the height
90 feet on the way up is s0 (t1 ) = 25.28 (ft/s) and the velocity of the ball on the way down is
s0 (t2 ) = −25.28 (ft/s). The minus sign of the velocity means the ball is falling down.
√
sin x ex − 1 7x − 7 4
16 + x − 2
6. Find the following limits (a) lim , (b) lim , (c) lim , (d) lim .
x→0 x x→0 x x→1 x−1 x→0 x
Hint: Using the definition of derivative. For example, to solve (b)
(b) Let f (x) = ex . By using the definition of derivative, we re-write the given limit as the
derivative of f (x) at x = 0:
ex − 1 f (x) − f (0)
lim = lim = f 0 (0) = e0 = 1
x→0 x x→0 x−0
(c) Let f (x) = 7x . We have
7x − 7 f (x) − f (1)
lim = lim = f 0 (1) = 7 ln 7
x→1 x − 1 x→1 x−1
7. Let
x2 sin x1 , if x 6= 0

f (x) =
0 , if x = 0
(a) Show that f (x) is continuous everywhere.
(b) Determine whether f 0 (0) exist.
Hint
(a) f (x) is continuous since
 
2 1
lim f (x) = lim x sin = 0 = f (0)
x→0 x→0 x

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Cal 1, Wednesday Homework Assignment #3 Fall 2013

(by the Sandwich Theorem).

f (x)−f (0)
(b) By the definition of derivative, the derivative f 0 (0) exists if lim x−0
exists:
x→0
 
0 f (x) − f (0) 1
f (0) = lim = lim x sin =0
x→0 x−0 x→0 x

(by the Sandwich Theorem).

Remark The derivative of f (x) is thus defined by

2x sin x1 − cos x1 , if x 6= 0



0
f (x) =
0, if x = 0

8. Differentiate
x2
 2x 
2 1−e
(a) f (x) = 3x , (b) f (x) = 23 , (c) f (x) = cos 1+e 2x .

Solution

(a) By applying the chain rule, we have

2
f 0 (x) = 3x · ln 3 · 2x
(b) By applying the chain rule twice and using the result of part (a):

x2 d x2 x2 2
f 0 (x) = 23 · ln 2 · (3 ) = 23 · ln 2 · 3x · ln 3 · 2x
dx
(c) By applying the chain rule and the quotient rule, we obtain
0
1 − e2x 1 − e2x 4e2x 1 − e2x
    
0
f (x) = sin = sin
1 + e2x 1 + e2x (1 + e2x )2 1 + e2x

9. Use logarithmic differentiation to find the derivative of the functions

sin2 x tan4 x √
(a) f (x) = 3 , (b) f (x) = xcos( 2x) .
(x2 + 1)
Solution
sin2 x tan4 x
(a) Take the natural logarithm both sides of the equation f (x) = , we have
(x2 + 1)3

ln f (x) = 2 ln (sin x) + 4 ln (tan x) − 3 ln x2 + 1

(More exactly, ln f (x) = 2 ln |sin x|+4 ln |tan x|−3 ln (x2 + 1). It will lead to the same answer.)

Differentiate both sides with respect to x:

f 0 (x) 4 x
= 2 cot x + 2
−6 2
f (x) tan x cos x x +1

Thus,

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Cal 1, Wednesday Homework Assignment #3 Fall 2013

sin2 x tan4 x
 
0 4 6x
f (x) = 2 cot x + − 2
2
tan x cos x x + 1 (x2 + 1)3
10. Given
x2 + 2xy − y 2 + x = 2
dy
(a) Find dx .
(b) Find an equation of the tangent line to the curve at the point (1, 2).

Solution
(a) Using Implicit Differentiation
Differentiate both sides of the given equation with respect to x, we obtain

2x + 2y + 2xy 0 − 2yy 0 + 1 = 0

y 0 (2y − 2x) = 2x + 2y + 1
Thus,
dy 2x + 2y + 1
y0 = = .
dx 2y − 2x
(b) The slope of the tangent line at the point (1, 2) is given by

0 dy  7
y |(1,2) = = .
dx (1,2) 2


The tangent line at a point (x0 , y0 ) of the function has the form of:

y − y0 = y 0 (x0 )(x − x0 ).

Hence the equation of the tangent line at a point (1, 2) is

7 7 3
y − 2 = (x − 1), or y = x − .
2 2 2